Mrs Atha's Leeds: City centre coffee shop boss warns business 'dying' amid continuing work on Central Road
The boss behind a longstanding independent cafe in Leeds city centre has warned business is "dying" as nearby building work is impacting his trade.
The owner of Mrs Atha’s in Central Road, Leeds city centre, has said rising costs and building works on the street “worry” him about the future of the coffee shop.
Construction work is ongoing nearby after the demolition of the former House of Fraser flagship store in Briggate was backed by councillors in 2022. The project, carried out by private developers, got underway in March 2023. The property is set to be replaced with a 10-storey block of student flats by developers Dukelease.
In an honest Instagram story, now available to view as a highlight, owner Warren Jones is pleading for customers to come out and support the business - or “lose it” entirely.
In a statement released to the YEP, a spokesperson for Leeds City Council said they were sorry to hear about the impact of the ongoing Central Road work and said the local authority was working with developers to “enhance the current trading environment” on the street.
Mr Jones said: “First and foremost I want to say thank you to every last one of you. Customers past and present. Without you we are literally nothing and you are truly appreciated.
“So I'm sure you all know what a tough time most hospitality businesses are having. Rising cost[s] and diminishing returns are sending even some of the best places we know and love into a spiral from which they cannot return. This saddens and worries me and obviously has me wondering what the future holds for Mrs Atha's.
“The last month has seen our lowest takings in the 12 years we have been here. The road we are located on is in total disarray with the street often being blocked by trucks and large scale deliveries to the building site opposite us.
“When it is not blocked it is noisy and dirty. We simply are not an attractive spot for people to be visiting at this point. And honestly I can't blame you for that.
“We have lost half of our outside seating and the seats we do have are literally look at the site and in the din of all the work that is happening out there. Our summer trade so far has been an utter disaster. All of this is beyond our control. We are dying.”
Mr Jones said he was proud of his “incredible” and “special” team and that their commitment to making the coffee shop “the best that it can be” has not gone unnoticed by him - but he’s had to make some difficult decisions to save the business.
He said: “When the shop suffers, so do my team. We are already closing one day to reduce the wages bill. People are losing hours. We already lost one great member of the team and I feel sure it won't be long before we lose more.
“It feels almost criminal that we are struggling so badly when what we do is done with such care and passion. What we have is absolutely and unequivocally in jeopardy. Our model simply isn't working right now it seems. Changes are very likely to have to be made to ensure our survival because we cannot continue to lose money like this.”
He added: “I don't want to be one of those places that posts this sort of message after they close down. I want to be one of those places that lets everyone know that they are struggling and hope against all hope that somehow that brings some of you to see us.”
“Even if it's just for a take out coffee. Or even if it's just to say hello and let us know that you are thinking about us and can help us in any way. I'm also aware that the current climate may mean you are making savings on things such as eating out and coffees as well.
“This is the reality of the state of the economy right now.
“In this day and age as the corporate behemoth takes over the high street of all of our major towns and cities I ask you to consider what Leeds would be like without its independent heartbeat. Because that's where we are headed if we are not careful.”
When construction began last year, Mrs Atha’s announced temporary closure and claimed the building work - along with rising costs- had “decimated” weekday trade.
The full council statement said: “We are sorry to hear about the impact of ongoing construction work on Central Road, which is not a council project. We speak to Mrs Atha’s regularly, so understand and sympathise with their predicament.
“A monthly meeting takes place where each business on Central Road is invited to discuss concerns and any other issues with both the council and the developers working on the old House of Fraser building.
“We’ve worked with the developers to try to enhance the current trading environment on Central Road through measures such as improved hoardings and changes to delivery practices.
“The businesses on Central Road do benefit from a significant discount on their business rates through a government scheme which is designed to support high street traders.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to address the issues on Central Road, we will shortly be installing lamp-post banners to promote the street as a destination.
“We are also exploring what we can do through Visit Leeds to further boost the profile of independent businesses in the city centre.”
The Yorkshire Evening Post contacted developer Dukelease for comment.